


Leather and Gingham

by Crucified_To_A_Star



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Banter, Fluffy, Happy, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Marriage, Realistic, Slice of Life, its kinda pointless other than to be cute, soft city here we go, this is a feel good soft fic, tw: hets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 02:16:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crucified_To_A_Star/pseuds/Crucified_To_A_Star
Summary: A small snippet of time where Taeil takes his husband, Jungwoo, to a corporate function. Jungwoo is less than impressed with his coworkers.





	Leather and Gingham

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Aly. I promised I’d write it.

The dull chattering of the stagnant crowd surrounding Jungwoo vibrated the thin stemmed glass perched between his fingers; the far too sweet bubbly champagne tasting foreign to his whiskey branded tongue. Still, he sipped occasionally, forcing a smile and a laugh at the jokes that the blonde woman, who was wearing too much makeup, would spit out. She was hanging on her husband, her blue dress holding her figure in just barely, and a pearl necklace bouncing around her collarbones as she flailed occasionally. Her husband was Taeil’s coworker, Jared? Josh? Something like that, but Jungwoo couldn’t remember. The man’s name was as forgettable as his face and greying hair.  
Jungwoo felt bad for feeling so bitter about being here, but he hated crowds and he hated strangers, and he especially hated small talk.  
Taeil bumped his hand, dragging him back into the present. Jungwoo took another sip from the flute and forced another smile, his lips barely gracing the rim of the glass. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if the woman hadn’t worn a floral perfume that was so suffocatingly strong that Jungwoo felt the need to breathe through his neat white button down or the neck of the black sweatervest he wore. Taeil didn’t seem to notice though, smiling broadly at the man, holding the conversation without Jungwoo’s assistance. Jungwoo wasn’t sure if it was jealousy he felt gnawing at his chest or the discomfort of the crowd of faceless figures surrounding them, but he didn’t like it. He shoved one hand into the pocket of his faded yellow and grey gingham slacks, eyes migrating back to his champagne.  
Jungwoo was hovering slightly behind his husband, slightly leaning onto his shoulder. Taeil was a whole head shorter than him despite being many years older, but Jungwoo was long and lanky whereas Taeil was shorter and broader. The outfit Taeil wore only succeeded in accentuating his shoulders, the leather jacket hanging just right on his frame and laced with the fresh but slightly musky cologne he chose for the evening. The night was chilly but Jungwoo had intentionally forgotten his coat so he could watch Taeil fret while they waited for the valet to pull their car around.  
He tuned himself back into the conversation as a third party entered, a blonde man that he didn’t recognize in the slightest introducing himself easily to the wife, taking the conversation over instantly. Jungwoo distantly felt the twinge of envy at the fact that he was able to insert himself into the conversation so easily. He didn’t focus on it, though, and instead let his breath out as Taeil turned and headed past him, Jungwoo following without a word spoken between the two.  
When they made it to the dessert table, Taeil picked up a small strawberry tart, munching on it as Jungwoo began, “What was with that woman? She was all over the place and she wasn’t funny.” Taeil was grinning through crumbs, his eyes glittering in the slightly yellow lighting. “Don’t look at me like that, I know what you’re thinking.”  
Taeil’s eyebrows crooked, if only slightly, and he brushed the crumbs from his fingertips gingerly. “Oh? Do you now?”  
Jungwoo was as flat as before, “We’ve been married for eight years, of course I do. I know you didn’t like her any more than I did. I know you thought her story of their trip to the tropics of wherever was as boring as the biochem class I took in undergrad. You didn’t like it anymore than I did, which is saying something.”  
Taeil hadn’t stopped smiling. “Matthew is kind of boring, isn’t he?” Matthew. That was the guys name. Where’d he get Josh? “But Julia isn’t all that bad.” Julia. Jungwoo realized he had never paid attention to the wife’s name, introductions having been spent focusing on how he had let Taeil drag him here.  
“Julia was worse than Matthew.” He glanced over to the couple, who didn't seem to notice their disappearance. Jungwoo was grateful. “Besides,” he turned back to his husband and picked up a tart, slightly aggressively. “Who’s house is this? It’s garish. Who decided that this color theme was a good match for red wood?” He gestured to the faded gold and yellow decor of the house that clashed with the silver and white of the party. Jungwoo leaned in slightly, “Do het’s really live like this?” Taeil gave a laugh at that, finally responding in genuine to his comments. Jungwoo felt his smile dragging his lips outwards, but he grabbed a tart and ate it quickly. His nose scrunched at the slightly too bitter jam and over baked crust. “And they can’t bake. Is there anything they’re good at, besides driving the divorce rates up?”  
Taeil snorted, wiping his face gently. “Woo, you’ve got to stop.”  
“What? I’m just being honest,” He knew he was being bratty, but he also knew that Taeil adored it.  
“We can leave soon, let me at least say hi to my boss. I’ll tell them you don’t feel well and we need to go. Sound good?” Taeil was looking for a way out as much as Jungwoo was.  
After Taeil spotted his boss and had a moment of small talk, they departed from the party. Taeil held the door to the car for him, a light blush decorating his cheeks after. Once Jungwoo was seated comfortably in the passenger seat of their car, his body relaxed completely. He hadn’t realized he had been as tense as he had. Taeil dropped into the drivers seat, buckling quickly. “Are you okay?”  
Jungwoo shrugged, “I’m fine. It’s their marriage I’m worried about.”  
Taeil snorted, looking over his shoulder to reverse. “Their marriage is fine.” When they were out of their parking spot and onto the road, Taeil’s hand rested comfortably on Jungwoo’s thigh, his thumb rubbing slow and unconscious circles.  
“Look, all I’m saying is that they have a 50% chance of divorce.”  
“How’d you get those static’s?” Taeil was clearly suppressing his laughter, Jungwoo feeling his chest bubble at the sound of his strained voice. Taeil’s profile against the city lights was a sight that Jungwoo never would tire of.  
“That’s the statistic. 50% of het marriages end in divorce, therefore they have a 50% chance of divorce.”  
Taeil broke finally, his laughter filling the car and Jungwoo felt his heart stutter. Had they really been in love this long? Eight years of marriage and ten years of partnership certainly went by fast, but the feeling Taeil gave him never faded. “That’s not how statistics work.”  
“Well, all they have a higher chance of divorce than we do.”  
“Oh yeah? You sure about that?”  
“Positive,” Jungwoo was confident in his answer, “I’ll file a lawsuit if you try and divorce me.”  
“A lawsuit?” Taeil’s shoulders trembled slightly with the laughter, his hand tightening on Jungwoo’s thigh slightly, “What would you sue me for?”  
“I’d sue for the protection of our marriage. I’d win that court case and you know it.”  
Taeil shook his head, “I don’t think it works like that, but we won’t ever find out.”  
Jungwoo was beaming slightly, “Besides, judging by your coworkers and who you surround yourself with, you can’t do better than me.”  
Taeil was chuckling as he patted Jungwoo’s thigh, “You’re reasoning is off, but you’re right. I can’t do better.”  
“Then what’s the reasoning?” Jungwoo stuck his tongue out, teasing the older man.  
“Because you’re the best there is. It doesn’t matter who is around me because you’re it.” The sudden sincerity in his voice caught Jungwoo off guard, the teasing tone no longer there. Once again, Jungwoo was caught in the feeling of having loved this man for a majority of his life. There wouldn’t be another and they both knew that.  
“Well that’s good to know,” Jungwoo’s voice was tight and he swallowed heavily before continuing, “but I’m only with you to be sure your house never looks like theirs did. You have awful interior design taste and it would be an embarrassment on me if we divorced and anyone saw the state of your solo house and think that I let you think that was good while we were together.”  
Taeil just let himself laugh again, “Just saving face?”  
“Forever.” Was his response, but Taeil seemed content with the answer. They both were.  
“Forever with you doesn’t seem too bad.” Taeil admitted after a moment.  
“No,” Jungwoo mused quietly, “No, it doesn’t.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed xx
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/MidnightSuhn)
> 
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/MidnightPasses?t=156572385)


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